


Into The Woods

by MadameBizarre



Category: Disney - All Media Types, Disney Cartoons (Classic), Disney Duck Universe, Disney Ducks (Comics), DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Cabin Fic, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, HAVE CUSTOM SKINS ON, Mentions of it anyways, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Recreational Drug Use, Slow Build, Slow Burn, The whole Duck family, country man falls in love with city girl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:01:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23714065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadameBizarre/pseuds/MadameBizarre
Summary: City slickers are all the same, he thinks, but when he puts one to work on his plot of land, Abner starts to realize....maybe he was wrong.
Relationships: Abner "Whitewater" Duck/Original Character, Abner "Whitewater" Duck/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	Into The Woods

The swing of his axe broke the tranquil woods and sent a flock of birds flying in a frenzy of chirps. A grunt followed, alerting nearby deer, then soon scaring them off as the ruckus continued. There, behind his cabin did the source of it all stand, slicing logs in half and depositing them onto a pile already near his height. He knew it was more than enough to survive through winter, but he was not satisfied. His work was failing -- again -- from distracting him, sending him in to fits of bitterness at the thought of  _ her _ . This was not the first time he was immersed in chopping wood, and as long as it haunted him, it would continue for quite some time.

He should have known better from the beginning,

_ WHACK! _

There had been signs his heart and mind purposely ignored. She never fit in with the woods, never seemed to try either. Always with her complaints he could not fix, that she could not accommodate for. In her heels and bright dresses that made her a sore thumb amongst green flora. Gorgeous, like a flame in his cold world, but a danger for the life that flourished in his woods. A fire that he could not be with, or atleast for long, without being burned. And burned he was now that she was gone -- a path of singed leaves in her wake and a pyre of hatred to fuel him. Not hatred towards her, but towards himself.

_ WHACK! _

Thinking back on it, he was now absolutely embarrassed with how he had acted. A pitiful, lovestruck fool at her mercy, all because he wanted her to stay with him. So many times did he change his plans so she was happy, whether it be staying inside the house, or driving her into town instead of going out on trails through the trees and wildlife. She had longed for the modern technology of the big city, but with him there was only hard labour. He did not own a washer and dryer, his cabin was not a large home meant for parties, nor did he own a closet big enough for her belongings. There was no space for the two of them  _ and then  _ her piles of luggage; he needed little, but she needed so much. A material woman with strong tastes he could not afford. An aesthetic he could not fit into either. They were complete opposites down to the core, yet somehow they had lasted that long.

Picking up one half of split wood he looked at the rings etched between the long grain lines. It only reminded him further of how foolish he had been. He had truly thought they would be together, and her hand would carry his mother’s wedding ring, yet even that had not been enough. One look at it and he saw her disappointed face. That should have been enough to turn him away from her, see the error of his love-blind mistakes, but that was his biggest regret. It took her turning him down, his questioning as to  _ why _ he was not enough, then, finally, her sharp words. Her true feelings and the lies she kept from him.

“Whatta’ dumbass you were.” He growled at himself -- tossing the piece of wood with more strength than needed.

Letting the axe drop wherever it pleased, Whitewater duck seethed -- hot, heavy air escaping his nostrils. To hell with her and city folk in general. It was a fluke they had met, that he had left the comfort of his cabin and woods. It cost him so much time and trouble, and in the end he had nothing to show but remorse. Only further convinced there was nothing for him outside his work, the serene life of a lumberjack, he set his sights on his home. The aging wood he had laboured for months over cutting, polishing, then putting together with his pa by his side. This was all he needed -- love be damned.

She was gone, and they were both better off for it.

The door needn’t be slammed so hard, but the pain still coursed like venom in his muscles. 

Fall would be there soon, then Winter, and finally Spring, and then he knew she would be far from his mind.

He had enough wood, luckily.

* * *

Fall was gorgeous in Duckburg with the woods surrounding it’s perimeter. The leaves of towering trees were endless and beautiful as they turned from green to brown, gold, and even red. Not a single step was silent as feet trampled over the fallen, crisp blades, but that was only one part of Fall’s orchestra. The winds were sharp, sending hats flying and scarfs tightening with each loud blow. A maple colored paradise as pumpkins were soon carved and lit at every corner, and the ghastly decorations of Halloween covered every inch of the town. A cacophony of excited children begging for candy in the warm night. Soon they were bundled up -- the weather taking a turn south as the days passed.

Winter in Duckburg meant snow with all it’s icy glory. A winter wonderland that brought a white blanket over the whole city which had the kids ecstatic for snowball fights, and the students relieved for no classes on the heavy days. Blinking little lights littered buildings and street poles while people shoved one another for Christmas gifts that would be out of stock come December. The power bills went up, and the windows went down, doors were locked, and coats layered. Barren trees and hibernating animals; there was one other in the woods who had done the same. A pity when each unique flake became a puddle of mud.

Spring showers bring May flowers, as the saying went. Poetic and lovely, but horribly dirty and wet in reality. It poured hard while the temperature barely rose. Bright rain boots squeaked on the citizens of Duckburg and umbrellas battled to fit in. It took longer than usual for the sky to clear up, opening heavenly pillars of light from behind the clouds. The puddles dried up, the flowers bloomed, and pollen was heavy in the air. Finally the forecasts brought higher numbers in favor of heat.

It marked her first whole year living in Duckburg when she was finally able to slip on a pair of shorts, but that would go unnoticed by her as she scrambled to pull them on while simultaneously shoving items into her satchel. She expected Eighty-five degrees Fahrenheit, yet there was no time to be prepared for it. Any shirt would do -- a tank top would be better -- so she looked in her closet for something,  _ anything _ , only to find sweatshirts that made her realize “ _ anything”  _ would not do. The pile of dirty clothes on her office chair had better offerings, and after a quick whiff of whatever was on top, she slid on a graphic tee. With that decided, she grabbed her bag and slid it across her torso on the way out. Three flights of stairs were nothing, especially when she was in a rush, and despite the stuffy air circulating the apartment building, she was not sweating over the physical exertion. Her sole concern was getting to work before her boss was there.

Once outside she inhaled fresh heavy air to rid the stale stink inside. The sun above caressed her with warmth, promising a bright day -- her favorite kind. Already she could feel the heat press down on the black tee she wore, a mistake on her lazy part, but currently not a big deal. She jumped when a horn was blared. 

Parked in front of a fire-hydrant was a black Nissan that gleamed under the Spring sun. In the passenger’s seat was a man with a devilish grin flashed her way. “Get in loser, it’s time for work!”

Quickly she did as told, returning the expression in earnest. Once the door shut, she heaved a relieved breath. “Thanks for the ride, I slept right through my alarm!” 

The car made little sound as it was put into drive and pulled from the curb. A top of the line vehicle, it’s engine was near silent as they joined the stampede of vehicles going down Drack street. The interior was fancy with tan colored leather seats that engulfed her body in a plush hold. Every nook and cranny was smooth, begging her hands to rub over the middle console and door handle. Mixed with the seamless driving, the whole car was a danger, lulling her into sleep if the ride was too long.

Though his eyes were focused on cutting off other vehicles to reach every green light, her friend’s smile never faltered. “No worries, I had a feeling you would. Got you some caffeine -- I was already at Starbucks.”

Sure as day there were two drinks in the cup-holders with the fully filled one obviously her’s. On the little sticker where it read in fine print  _ ‘Frappuccino’  _ another word was scrawled below:  _ Luci _

“You used my name?” She reached over to take it in hand and enjoy a sip; nice and cold, perfect for the warm weather. 

“Ye, because everybody loves Lucy!” 

Groaning mid-sip, she also rolled her eyes. “Wow, original.”

“Yeah, but Ethan isn’t as funny to give, they don’t expect a guy like me to use it.”

“Thanks for the drink.” Luci rolled down her window with the touch of a button.

“Thought it only right with your one-year anniversary.” 

_ How could I forget, _ she thought with an idle stare through the window. One whole year since moving to Duckburg and began her new career. A solid pay, a nice city, her own apartment -- it was a glow up from the crowded apartment where she lived with her family. The hustle and bustle was the same, but the area was twice as clean. Only her license was unchanged, or rather un-received.

“Damn, that means we’ve been hanging for, like, eleven months. Feels like more.” 

“Guess we just click that well.”

The seasons had passed so quickly with a diversity her Californian home town could never replicate. Had it only been a few months earlier when she enjoyed her first snowfall? Enjoyed as much as she could anyways when she hated the cold. Ethan being there to go ice-skating had been fun, and Maddy and Isiah further brought the warmth back into her skinny bones. Maddy quite literally as she kept a death-grip on Luci’s hand, unused to skating in any form; fortunately she was skilled, man-made skating rinks her favorite pastime. Before and beyond that, there was no problem, even when Fall was actually chilly unlike back home where the majority of days were warm as though Summer had never left. Twelve months...

As the car came to a stop in front of  _ The Duck Times _ newspaper building, Luci turned her face to Ethan. A small tender smile met his content one. “Thanks Ethan, really, I appreciate it.”

“I know, which is why I planned a camping trip to celebrate.”

“Oh God no, you know I hate nature.” A lie, but he didn’t have to know. 

“Too late, we all agreed on it behind your back. I’ll pick you up around seven.” His tone was playful.

“Ugh, you’re the worst.” She chuckled; there was nothing odd about it coming out of her mouth, yet a small nagging voice in the back of her head said otherwise. No matter, she wasn’t  _ that _ annoyed by the sudden plans. It would be fun with them.

“Have a good day at work.”

“Thanks, you too.” And she jumped out the car, walking as fast she could into the building without a look back.

Luci did not hate nature, instead her relationship with the great outdoors was complicated, but that was another story altogether. Fortunately she knew how to pack for it though, grabbing her gym-bag and emptying it for her supplies. Bug repellent, bathing suit, two extra pairs of clothes, pajamas, toothbrush and toothpaste, etcetera, etcetera -- and a satchel for smaller things to take in case they took a hike. When she dropped one thing into the bag, she thought of something more and grabbed that as well, continuing the cycle until she questioned whether or not she _truly_ knew how to pack. No matter, it was only for one night, and it was better to be safe than sorry. She rolled up her old sleeping bag, slung her satchel over her torso, put her duffel over one shoulder, and was soon climbing into Maddy’s Mini-Cooper; a simple enough car compared to Ethan’s, it had four-doors, five seats, and a big enough trunk to fit their luggage. That was all they needed. 

Jumping in the back with Isiah, she sat in the middle to lean over the console whenever she pleased and prop her feet up. 

“You guys go camping a lot?”

Ethan sat in the passenger seat, too busy looking down at his phone to reply. Maddy spoke up instead, eyes pulling up towards the rear-view mirror to meet Luci’s. 

“Kinda -- I think I’ve been out twice?” She didn’t sound so sure. “My cousins liked to  _ say _ we were camping, but we were actually just smoking in a tent.” 

“Sounds fun, maybe we should do that too.” Too bad she didn’t think to pack for  _ that _ . The whole idea of camping was starting to feel poorly planned about now.

Isiah, slouched in his seat, and gave her knee a pat. “Good idea, but I didn’t bring anything to smoke. Ethan?”

“No, but there’s some booze in the trunk. “ The reply held little interest.

Well, no worries in her opinion. It was for the best or else they would end up doing something stupid: like calling out for a delivery that would never come. “It’s something.”

The middle seat may have been a bit of a bad choice. Unable to properly see outside either window, she opted to merely lay her head on Isiah’s shoulder and look across his torso out his window, but her eyesight was not cooperative. The view was a low-blur, not because of the drive, but her glasses that failed to correct her eyes thoroughly. Bored, she removed them so she could close her eyes and relax against her friend as he took a nap of his own.

They would be busy soon enough with pitching their tents, readying a fire, and goofing off like the idiots they were….yet no excitement stirred within her.

**Author's Note:**

> A revamp/revised/rewrite of a story that consisted of drabbles between I and a good friend. The original may still be found on tumblr, but for now the original will be saved in my drive, and slowly rewritten here.


End file.
